It’s my second day in Brasilia and while I’d like to kick back and relax in my couchsurfer
Felipe’s home, he’s already drawn me a map of things to visit before he left
for work. So out I go. The first thing on the list is the Temple of Goodwill.
With no restrictions on religion, the temple is open to anybody and everybody.
Except me. Well, I didn’t know that you cannot enter wearing shorts. They do
provide you with long track pants. So that’s what I do. It’s a quiet place with
black and white spirals on the floor that you need to walk on. Follow the
spiral to the centre and back and you will have harnessed the energy that’s
concentrated in a crystal that’s placed on top. It all seemed a bit ‘x-filey’,
if you ask me. They have a crypt in the basement with the apocalypse painted on
the wall as a mural. This place gives you the feeling that somewhere in there
they have a soul-bargaining room. Another passage leads you to the ominous
Egyptian room, which is exactly how it sounds. It’s a room that looks Egyptian.
I didn’t understand what it was doing there and what visitors were supposed to
experience. There were a few ladies lazing around being all the Egyptian they
can be. I stick around for a bit before deciding I need to balance this out
with a quick visit to a church. Felipe calls me up and offer to take me during
his lunch break.
The Don Bosco church is absolutely
astounding. From roof to floor it has blue and violet stained glass. Depending
on the position of the sun, the colours inside the church change. There’s soft
classical music playing on hidden speakers and the whole experience is just so
calming. Rumour has it that if you stare at the statue of Don Bosco long
enough, you can hear him say “Egyptian room… pfffttt”.
Soon it’s dinner time and I remind
Felipe that it’s his turn to cook today. He can’t cook to save his life so he
offers to take me out for a traditional Brazilian set meal instead called Prato Feito. We ask for one portion and
what arrives is a plate of white rice, a bowl of beans, French fries, scrambled
eggs, steaks and onions and a bowl of tomatoes. Meant for two, it could easily
feed a small army. We also try Cachaca Jambu. It’s a version of their
local sugar cane alcohol which also has anaesthetic properties. After doing a
small shot, my tongue goes numb. It’s not the best idea to be drinking that
before you have a meal. Half the food kept falling out of my mouth without me
knowing it. Since you can’t feel your tongue, you also land up biting into it.
That was easily the tastiest and bloodiest meal I’ve ever had.
Tomorrow I head to Chapada Dos Veadeiros, the national
park close to Brasilia. It was recommended by some locals who claim it’s not
frequented by too many tourists. The adventure is just beginning and I can’t
wait.
